Why is a man allowed to
have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy
allowed in Islam?

Answer:

Definition of Polygamy

1. Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has
more than one spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny
where a man marries more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a
woman marries more than one man. In Islam, limited polygyny
is permitted; whereas polyandry is completely prohibited.

Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one
wife?

2.TheQur’an
is the only religious scripture in the world that says,"marry
only one".

The Qur’an
is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase
‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have
only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud
or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to
these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes.
It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted
the number of wives to one.

Many Hindu religious
personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had
more than one wife. Krishna had several wives.

In earlier times, Christian
men were permitted as many wives as they wished, since the Bible puts no
restriction on the number of wives. It was only a few centuries ago that the
Church restricted the number of wives to one.

Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According
to Talmudic law, Abraham had three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives.
The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi GershombenYehudah
(95% C.E to 1030 C.E) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic
communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as
1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying
more than one wife.

3. Hindus are more polygynous than
Muslims

The report of the
‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page
numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years
1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims.
According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one
wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife.
Despite it being illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to
Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to
the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act
was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At
present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than
one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.

Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.

4. Qur’an permits limited polygyny

As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth
that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse
from SurahNisa of the
Glorious Qur’an:

"Marry women of your
choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to
deal justly (with them), then only one."

[Al-Qur’an 4:3]

Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even
hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission
to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals justly
with them.

In the same chapter i.e. SurahNisa verse 129 says:

"Ye are never able to
be fair and just as between women...."

[Al-Qur’an 4:129]

Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are
under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more
than one wife.

Broadly, Islam has five
categories of Do’s and Don’ts:

i.‘Fard’ i.e.
compulsory or obligatory

ii.‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended
or encouraged

iii.‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or
allowed

iv.‘Makruh’ i.e. not
recommended or discouraged

v.‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or
forbidden

Polygyny falls in the middle category of
things that are permissible. It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three
or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife.

5. Average life span of females is more than that of males

By nature males and females
are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child has more immunity than
a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the
male child. For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more
deaths among males as compared to the females.

During wars, there are more
men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases
than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at
any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers.

6. India
has more male population than female due to female foeticide
and infanticide

India is one of the few countries, along
with the other neighbouring countries, in which the
female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in the high
rate of female infanticide in India,
and the fact that more than one million female foetuses
are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females.
If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as
compared to males.

7. World female population is more than male population

In the USA, women
outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone
has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the
male population of New York
one-third are gaysi.e
sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays. This
means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more
females as compared to males. Germany
has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more
females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in
the whole world as compared to males.

8. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not
practical

Even if every man got
married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million females in
U.S.A who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has
twenty five million gays). There would be more than four million females in
Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia
alone who would not be able to find a husband.

Suppose my sister happens
to be one of the unmarried women living in USA,
or suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only
two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has
a wife or becomes public property. There is no other option. All those who are
modest will opt for the first.

In Western society, it is
common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in
which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society,
however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain
their honourable, dignified position in society and
lead a protected life.

Thus the only two options
before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a
married man or to become public property. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and
disallowing the second.

There are several other
reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny,
but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women.

If a man is allowed to have
more than one wife, then why does Islam prohibit a woman from having more than
one husband?

Answer:

A lot of people, including
some Muslims, question the logic of allowing Muslim men to have more than one
spouse while denying the same ‘right’ to women.

Let me first state
emphatically, that the foundation of an Islamic society is justice and equity.
Allah has created men and women as equal, but with different capabilities and
different responsibilities. Men and women are different, physiologically and
psychologically. Their roles and responsibilities are different. Men and women
are equal in Islam, but not identical.

SurahNisa’
Chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 gives the list of women with who you can not marry
and it is further mentions in SurahNisa’ Chapter 4 verse 24 "Also (prohibited are) women
already married"

The following points
enumerate the reasons why polyandry is prohibited in Islam:

1. If a man has more than one wife, the parents of the children
born of such marriages can easily be identified. The father as well as the
mother can easily be identified. In case of a woman marrying more than one
husband, only the mother of the children born of such marriages will be
identified and not the father. Islam gives tremendous importance to the
identification of both parents, mother and father.
Psychologists tell us that children who do not know their parents, especially
their father undergo severe mental trauma and disturbances. Often they have an
unhappy childhood. It is for this reason that the children of prostitutes do
not have a healthy childhood. If a child born of such wedlock is admitted in
school, and when the mother is asked the name of the father, she would have to
give two or more names! I am aware that recent advances in science have made it
possible for both the mother and father to be identified with the help of
genetic testing. Thus this point which was applicable for the past may not be
applicable for the present.

2. Man is more polygamous by nature as compared to a woman.

3. Biologically, it is easier for a man to perform his duties as a
husband despite having several wives. A woman, in a similar position, having
several husbands, will not find it possible to perform her duties as a wife. A
woman undergoes several psychological and behavioral changes due to different
phases of the menstrual cycle.

4. A woman who has more than one husband will have several sexual
partners at the same time and has a high chance of acquiring venereal or
sexually transmitted diseases which can also be transmitted back to her husband
even if all of them have no extra-marital sex. This is not the case in a man
having more than one wife, and none of them having extra-marital sex.

The above reasons are those that one can easily identify. There are probably
many more reasons why Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, has prohibited polyandry.

The status of women in
Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many
as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we
analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’,
let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The
following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of
women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied
basic human dignity:

1.Babylonian
Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If
a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to
death.

2.Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient
civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all
rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’
called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks
considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women
was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later
overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular
practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

3.Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the
right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst
the Romans.

4.Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

5.Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs
looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was
buried alive.

2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them
to maintain their status.

Islam uplifted the status
of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women
to maintain their status.

Hijaabfor men

People usually only discuss
‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, in
the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt)
first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before ‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an
mentions in SurahNoor:

"Say to the believing
men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make
for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they
do."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a
woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower
his gaze.

Hijaab for women.

The next verse of SurahNoor, says:

" And say to the
believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that
they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily)
appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display
their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers,
their sons..."
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

3. Six criteria for Hijaab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are
basically six criteria for observing hijaab:

1.Extent:

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is
different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is
to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent
of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the
hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover
even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the
hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijaab’.

All
the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

2.The clothes worn
should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

3.The clothes worn
should not be transparent such that one can see through them.

4.The clothes worn
should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

5.The clothes worn
should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

6.The clothes worn
should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes
that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.

4. Hijaabincludes
conduct and behaviour among other things

Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also
includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and
intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’
of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijaab’
of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and ‘hijaab’
of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks,
the way he behaves, etc.

5. Hijaabprevents
molestation

The reason why Hijaabis prescribed for women is mentioned
in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:

"O Prophet! Tell thy
wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer
garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they
should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful."
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an
says that Hijaabhas been prescribed
for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also
prevent them from being molested.

6. Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are
twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is
attired in the Islamic hijaab i.e. the
complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists.
The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just
around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to
tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the
Islamic Hijaabor the girl wearing the
skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or
the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for
teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that
hijaab prevents women from being molested.

7. Capital punishment for the rapists

Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is
given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some
even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple
question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid,
someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the
judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give
him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of
saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask,
if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if
the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital
punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?

8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s
liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body,
degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour.
Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has
actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society
butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful
screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

9. USA
has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most
advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape
in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every
day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later
another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are
committed in USA.
The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans
got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where
the Islamic hijaabis followed in America.
Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to
his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the
complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto
the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I
ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America
increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

10. Implementation of Islamic Shariahwill reduce the rate of rapes

Naturally as soon as
Islamic Shariahis implemented positive
results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariahis implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe,
society will breathe easier. Hijaabdoes
not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

How can Islam be called the
religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?

Answer:

It is a common complaint
among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over
the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points
will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the
inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid
spread of Islam.

1. Islam means peace.

Islam comes from the root
word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus
Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the
will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).

2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.

Each and every human being
in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace
and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested
interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely
for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and
anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At
the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression.
The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam
force can only be used to promote peace and justice.

3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.

The best reply to the
misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted
historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page
8):

"History makes it
clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world
and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the
most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."

4. Muslims ruled Spain
for 800 years.

Muslims ruled Spain for about
800 years. The Muslims in Spain
never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian
Crusaders came to Spain
and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could
openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.

5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.

Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled,
and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million
Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the
Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would
have remained a Christian.

6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.

The Muslims ruled India for about
a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and
every non-Muslim of India
to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are
non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam
was not spread by the sword.

7. Indonesia
and Malaysia.

Indonesia is a country that has the maximum
number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are
Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"

8. East Coast of Africa.

Similarly, Islam has spread
rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by
the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"

9. Thomas Carlyle.

The famous historian,
Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this
misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will
you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a
minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it
dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man
against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do
little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate
itself as it can."

10. No compulsion in religion.

With which sword was Islam
spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because
the Qur’an says in the following verse:

"Let there be no
compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error"
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]

11. Sword of the Intellect.

It is the sword of
intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of
people. The Qur’an says in SurahNahl, chapter 16 verse 125:

"Invite (all) to the
way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious."
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]

12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.

An article in Reader’s
Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of
percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to
1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was
Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May
one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of
people to Islam?

13. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.

Today the fastest growing
religion in America
is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe
in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in
such large numbers?

14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.

Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson
rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in
the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped
already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was
born".

MUSLIMS ARE FUNDAMENTALISTS AND
TERRORISTS

Question:

Why are most of the Muslims
fundamentalists and terrorists?

Answer:

This question is often
hurled at Muslims, either directly or indirectly, during any discussion on
religion or world affairs. Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in every form of
the media accompanied by gross misinformation about Islam and Muslims. In fact,
such misinformation and false propaganda often leads to discrimination and acts
of violence against Muslims. A case in point is the anti-Muslim campaign in the
American media following the Oklahoma
bomb blast, where the press was quick to declare a ‘Middle Eastern conspiracy’
behind the attack. The culprit was later identified as a soldier from the
American Armed Forces.

Let us analyze this
allegation of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’:

1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’

A fundamentalist is a person
who follows and adheres to the fundamentals of the doctrine or theory he is
following. For a person to be a good doctor, he should know, follow, and practise the fundamentals of medicine. In other words, he
should be a fundamentalist in the field of medicine. For a person to be a good
mathematician, he should know, follow and practise
the fundamentals of mathematics. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of
mathematics. For a person to be a good scientist, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of science. He should be a
fundamentalist in the field of science.

2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same

One cannot paint all
fundamentalists with the same brush. One cannot categorize all fundamentalists
as either good or bad. Such a categorization of any fund amentalist
will depend upon the field or activity in which he is a fundamentalist. A
fundamentalist robber or thief causes harm to society and is therefore
undesirable. A fundamentalist doctor, on the other hand, benefits society and
earns much respect.

3. I am proud to be a Muslim fundamentalist

I am a fundamentalist
Muslim who, by the grace of Allah, knows, follows and strives to practise the fundamentals of Islam. A true Muslim does not
shy away from being a fundamentalist. I am proud to be a fundamentalist Muslim because, I know that the fundamentals of Islam are
beneficial to humanity and the whole world. There is not a single fundamental
of Islam that causes harm or is against the interests of the human race as a
whole. Many people harbour misconceptions about Islam
and consider several teachings of Islam to be unfair or improper. This is due
to insufficient and incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one critically analyzes
the teachings of Islam with an open mind, one cannot escape the fact that Islam
is full of benefits both at the individual and collective levels.

4. Dictionary meaning of the word ‘fundamentalist’

According to Webster’s
dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in American Protestanism
that arose in the earlier part of the 20th century. It was a reaction to
modernism, and stressed the infallibility of the Bible, not only in matters of
faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. It stressed on belief
in the Bible as the literal word of God. Thus fundamentalism was a word
initially used for a group of Christians who believed that the Bible was the
verbatim word of God without any errors and mistakes.

According to the Oxford dictionary
‘fundamentalism’means ‘strict maintenance of ancient or fundamental
doctrines of any religion, especially Islam’.

Today the moment a person
uses the word fundamentalist he thinks of a Muslim who is a terrorist.

5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist

Every Muslim should be a
terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees
a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber.
Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of
society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social
element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified. It is true that the word
‘terrorist’ is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common
people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to selective people i.e.
anti-social elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim
should be a source of peace for innocent people.

6. Different labels given to the same individual for the same
action, i.e. ‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’

Before India achieved independence from British rule,
some freedom fighters of India
who did not subscribe to non-violence were labeled as terrorists by the British
government. The same individuals have been lauded by Indians for the same
activities and hailed as ‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have been given
to the same people for the same set of actions. One is calling him a terrorist
while the other is calling him a patriot. Those who believed that Britain had a right to rule over India called these people terrorists, while
those who were of the view that Britain
had no right to rule India
called them patriots and freedom fighters.

It is therefore important
that before a person is judged, he is given a fair hearing. Both sides of the
argument should be heard, the situation should be analyzed, and the reason and
the intention of the person should be taken into account, and then the person
can be judged accordingly.

7. Islam means peace

Islam is derived from the
word ‘salaam’ which means peace. It is a religion of peace whose
fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the
world.

Thus every Muslim should be
a fundamentalist i.e. he should follow the fundamentals of the Religion of
Peace: Islam. He should be a terrorist only towards the antisocial elements in
order to promote peace and justice in the society.

Killing an animal is a
ruthless act. Why then do Muslims consume non-vegetarian food?

Answer:

‘Vegetarianism’ is now a
movement theworld over. Many even associate it with animal rights.
Indeed, a large number of people consider the consumption of meat and other
non-vegetarian products to be a violation of animal rights.

Islam enjoins mercy and
compassion for all living creatures. At the same time Islam maintains that
Allah has created the earth and its wondrous flora and fauna for the benefit of
mankind. It is upto mankind to use every resource in
this world judiciously, as a niyamat(Divine
blessing) and amanat(trust) from
Allah.

Let us look at various
other aspects of this argument.

1. A Muslim can be a pure vegetarian

A Muslim can be a very good
Muslim despite being a pure vegetarian. It is not compulsory for a Muslim to
have non-vegetarian food.

2. Qur’an permits Muslims to have
non-vegetarian food

The Qur’an, however permits a
Muslim to have non-vegetarian food. The following Qur’anic
verses are proof of this fact:

"And cattle Hehas
created for you (men): from them Ye derive warmth, and
numerous benefits, And of their (meat) ye eat."
[Al-Qur’an 16:5]

"And in cattle (too)
ye have an instructive example: From within their bodies We
produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous
(other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat."
[Al-Qur’an 23:21]

3. Meat is nutritious and rich in complete protein

Non-vegetarian food is a
good source of excellent protein. It contains biologically complete protein
i.e. all the 8 essential amino acid that are not synthesized by the body and
should be supplied in the diet. Meat also contains iron, vitamin B1 and niacin.

4. Humans have Omnivorous set of teeth

If you observe the teeth of
herbivorous animals like the cow, goat and sheep, you will find something
strikingly similar in all of them. All these animals have a set of flat teeth
i.e. suited for herbivorous diet. If you observe the set of teeth of the
carnivorous animals like the lion, tiger, or leopard, they all have a set of
pointed teeth i.e. suited for a carnivorous diet. If you analyze the set of
teeth of humans, you find that they have flat teeth as well as pointed teeth.
Thus they have teeth suited for both herbivorous as well as carnivorous food
i.e. they are omnivorous. One may ask, if Almighty God
wanted humans to have only vegetables, why did He provide us also with pointed
teeth? It is logical that He expected us to need and to have both vegetarian as
well as non-vegetarian food.

5. Human beings can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food

The digestive system of
herbivorous animals can digest only vegetables. The digestive system of
carnivorous animals can digest only meat. But the digestive system of humans
can digest both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. If Almighty God wanted us
to have only vegetables then why did He give us a digestive system that can
digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food?

6. Hindu
scriptures give permission to have non-vegetarian food

There are many Hindus who are strictly vegetarian. They
think it is against their religion to consume non-vegetarian food. But the
true fact is that the Hindu scriptures permit a person to have meat. The
scriptures mention Hindu sages and saints consuming non-vegetarian food.

It is mentioned in Manu Smruti,
the law book of Hindus, in chapter 5 verse 30

"The eater who eats the flesh of those to be eaten does nothing bad,
even if he does it day after day, for God himself created some to be eaten
and some to be eater."

c.Again next verse of
Manu Smruti, that is, chapter 5 verse
31 says

"Eating meat is right for the sacrifice, this is traditionally
known as a rule of the gods."

d.Further in Manu Smruti chapter 5 verse 39 and 40 says

"God himself created sacrificial animals for sacrifice, ...., therefore killing in a sacrifice is not
killing."

e.Mahabharata AnushashanParva chapter 88
narrates the discussion between DharmarajYudhishthira and PitamahBhishma about what food one should offer to Pitris(ancestors) during the Shraddha(ceremony of dead) to keep them
satisfied. Paragraph reads as follows:

"Yudhishthira said, "O thou of great puissance, tell me
what that object is which, if dedicated to the Pitiris(dead ancestors), become inexhaustible! WhatHavi,
again, (if offered) lasts for all time? What, indeed, is that which (if
presented) becomes eternal?"

"Bhishma said, "Listen to me, O Yudhishthira,
what those Havisare which persons
conversant with the rituals of the Shraddha(the ceremony of dead) regard as suitable in view of Shraddhaand what the fruits are that attach to each. With sesame seeds and rice and
barely and Mashaand water and roots
and fruits, if given at Shraddhas, the pitris, O king, remain gratifiedfor the
period of a month. With fishes offered at Shraddhas,
the pitrisremain gratified for a
period of two months. With the mutton they remain gratified for three months
and with the hare for four months, with the flesh of the goat for five months,
with the bacon (meat of pig) for six months, and with the flesh of birds for
seven. With venison obtained from those deer thatare called Prishata, they remaingratified
for eight months, and with that obtained from the Rurufor nine months, and with the meat of Gavaya
for ten months, With the meat of the bufffalo their
gratification lasts for eleven months. With beef presented at the Shraddha, their gratification, it is said , lasts for a full year. Payasamixed with ghee is as much acceptable to the pitrisas beef. With the meat of Vadhrinasa (a large
bull) the gratification of pitrislasts
for twelve years. The flesh of rhinoceros, offered to the pitrison anniversaries of the lunar days on which they died, becomes
inexhaustible. The potherb called Kalaska, the
petals of kanchanaflower, and meat of
(red) goat also, thus offered, prove inexhaustible.

So
but natural if you want to keep your ancestors satisfied forever, you should
serve them the meat of red goat.

7. Hinduism was influenced by other religions

Though Hindu Scriptures
permit its followers to have non-vegetarian food, many Hindus adopted the
vegetarian system because they were influenced by other religions like Jainism.

8. Even plants have life

Certain religions have
adopted pure vegetarianism as a dietary law because they are totally against
the killing of living creatures. If a person can survive without killing any
living creature, I would be the first person to adopt such a way of life. In
the past people thought plants were lifeless. Today it is a universal fact that
even plants have life. Thus their logic of not killing living creatures is not
fulfilled even by being a pure vegetarian.

9. Even plants can feel
pain

They further argue that
plants cannot feel pain, therefore killing a plant is
a lesser crime as compared to killing an animal. Today science tells us that
even plants can feel pain. But the cry of the plant cannot be heard by the
human being. This is due to the inability of the human ear to hear sounds that
are not in the audible range i.e. 20 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz. Anything below and
above this range cannot be heard by a human being. A dog can hear up to 40,000
Hertz. Thus there are silent dog whistles that have a frequency of more than
20,000 Hertz and less than 40,000 Hertz. These whistles are only heard by dogs
and not by human beings. The dog recognizes the masters
whistle and comes to the master. There was research done by a farmer in U.S.A. who
invented an instrument which converted the cry of the plant so that it could be
heard by human beings. He was able to realize immediately when the plant itself
cried for water. Latest researches show that the plants can even feel happy and
sad. It can also cry.

10. Killing a living creature with two senses less is not a
lesser crime

Once a
vegetarian argued his case by saying that plants only have two or three senses
while the animals have five senses.

Therefore killing a plant
is a lesser crime than killing an animal. Suppose your brother is born deaf and
dumb and has two senses less as compared to other human beings. He becomes
mature and someone murders him. Would you ask the judge to give the murderer a
lesser punishment because your brother has two senses less? In fact you would
say that he has killed a masoom, an innocent
person, and the judge should give the murderer a greater punishment.

In fact the Qur’an says:

"O ye people! Eat of
what is on earth, lawful and good"
[Al-Qur’an 2:168]

11. Over population of cattle

If every human being was a
vegetarian, it would lead to overpopulation of cattle in the world, since their
reproduction and multiplication is very swift. Allah (swt)
in His Divine Wisdom knows how to maintain the balance of His creation
appropriately. No wonder He has permitted us to have the meat of the cattle.

12. Cost of meat is reasonable since all aren’t non-vegetarians

I do not mind if some
people are pure vegetarians. However they should not condemn non-vegetarians as
ruthless. In fact if all Indians become non-vegetarians then the present
non-vegetarians would be losers since the prices of meat would rise.

Why do Muslims slaughter
the animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully
killing it?

Answer:

The Islamic method of
slaughtering animals, known as Zabiha has been
the object of much criticism from a large number of people.

Before I reply to the
question, let me relate an incidence about a discussion between a Sikh and a
Muslim regarding animal slaughter.

Once a Sikh asked a Muslim,
"Why do you slaughter the animal painfully by cutting the throat instead
of the way we do with one stroke i.e. jhatka?"
The Muslim replied "We are brave and courageous and attack from the front.
We are marad ka baccha(macho men), you are cowards and attack from
behind".

Jokes apart, one may
consider the following points, which prove that the Zabihamethod is not only humane but also scientifically the best:

1. Islamic method of slaughtering animal

Zakkaytum is a verb derived from the root
word Zakah(to purify). Its infinitive
is Tazkiyahwhich means purification. The
Islamic mode of slaughtering an animal requires the following conditions to be
met:

a. Animal should
be slaughtered with sharp object (knife)

The animal has to be
slaughtered with a sharp object (knife) and in a fast way so that the pain of
slaughter is minimised.

b. Cut wind pipe,
throat and vessels of neck

Zabiha is an Arabic word which means
‘slaughtered’. The ‘slaughtering’ is to be done by cutting the throat, windpipe
and the blood vessels in the neck causing the animal’s death without cutting
the spinal cord.

c. Blood should be
drained

The blood has to be drained
completely before the head is removed. The purpose is to drain out most of the
blood which would serve as a good culture medium for micro organisms. The
spinal cord must not be cut because the nerve fibres
to the heart could be damaged during the process causing cardiac arrest, stagnating the blood in the blood vessels.

2. Blood
is a good medium for germs and bacteria

Blood is a good media of
germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. Therefore the Muslim way of slaughtering is more
hygienic as most of the blood containing germs, bacteria, toxins, etc. that are
the cause of several diseases are eliminated.

3. Meat
remains fresh for a longer time

Meat slaughtered by Islamic
way remains fresh for a longer time due to deficiency of blood in the meat as
compared to other methods of slaughtering.

4. Animal
does not feel pain

The swift cutting of
vessels of the neck disconnects the flow of blood to the nerve of the brain
responsible for pain. Thus the animal does not feel pain. While dying, the
animal struggles, writhers, shakes and kicks, not due to pain, but due to the
contraction and relaxation of the muscles defecient
in blood and due to the flow of blood out of the body.

Science tell
us that whatever one eats, it has an effect on one’s behaviour.
Why then, does Islam allow Muslims to eat non-vegetarian food, since eating of
animals could make a person violent and ferocious?

Answer:

1. Only eating of herbivorous animals allowed

I agree that, what a person
eats has an effect on his behaviour. This is one of
the reasons why Islam prohibits the eating of carnivorous animals like lion,
tiger, leopard, etc. who are violent and ferocious. The consumption of the meat
of such animals would probably make a person violent and ferocious. Islam only
allows the eating of herbivorous animals like cow, goat, sheep, etc. that are
peaceful and docile. We Muslims eat peaceful and docile animals because we are
peace loving and non-violent people.

2. The Qur’an says Prophet prohibits
what is bad

The Qur’an
says:

"The Prophet commands
them what is just and prohibits what is evil". "He allows them as
lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them what is bad (and
impure),"
[Al-Qur’an 7: 157]

"So take what the
Messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which he withholds from
you."
[Al-Qur’an 59: 7]

For a Muslim, the Prophet’s
statement is sufficient to convince him that Allah does not wish humans to eat
some kinds of meat while allowing some other kinds.

According to various
authentic Ahadith narrated in SahihBukhari and Sahih Muslim
including hadith narrated by IbnAbbas in Sahih Muslim, Book
of hunting and slaughter, Hadith No. 4752 and SunanIbn-I-Majah chapter 13 Hadith no. 3232 to 3234, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) prohibited the eating of:

iv.Birds of prey with talons or claws, like vultures, eagle,
crows, owl, etc.

MUSLIMS
WORSHIP THE KAABA

Question:

When Islam is against idol
worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow down to the Kaaba
in their prayer?

Answer:

Kaabais the Qiblai.e.
the direction Muslims face during their prayers. It is important to note that
though Muslims face the Kaabaduring
prayers, they do not worship the Kaaba.
Muslims worship and bow to none but Allah.

It is mentioned in SurahBaqarah:

"We see the turning of
thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall We
turn thee to a Qiblahthat shall please
thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque: wherever ye
are, turn your faces in that direction."
[Al-Qur’an 2:144]

1. Islam believes in fostering unity

For instance, if Muslims
want to offer Salaah(Prayer), it is
possible that some may wish to face north, while some may wish to face south.
In order to unite Muslims in their worship of the One True God, Muslims,
wherever they may be, are asked to face in only one direction i.e. towards the Kaaba. If some Muslims live towards the west of the Kaabathey face the east. Similarly if they
live towards the east of the Kaaba they face
the west.

2. Kaabais
at the Centre of the World Map

The Muslims were the first
people to draw the map of the world. They drew the map with the south facing
upwards and north downwards. The Kaabawas
at the centre. Later, western cartographers drew the map upside down with the
north facing upwards and south downwards. Yet, Alhamdullilahthe Kaabais at the centre of the
world map.

3. Tawaafaround
Kaabafor indicating one God

When the Muslims go to Masjid-e-Haramin Makkah,
they perform tawaafor circumambulation
round the Kaaba. This act symbolizes the
belief and worship of One God, since, just as every circle has one centre, so
also there is only one Allah (swt) worthy of worship.

4. Hadith of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)

Regarding the black stone, hajr-e-aswad, there is a hadith
(tradition), attributed to the illustrious companion
of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh),
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

According
to SahihBukhari, Volume 2,
book of Hajj, chapter 56, H.No. 675. Umar
(may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I know that you are a stone and can
neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet (pbuh)
touching (and kissing) you, I would never have touched (and kissed) you".

5. People stood on Kaabaand gave the adhaanAt the time of the Prophet, people
even stood on the Kaaba and gave the ‘adhaan’ or the call to prayer. One may ask those who allege
that Muslims worship the Kaaba; which idol worshipper
stands on the idol he worships?

Why are non-Muslims not
allowed in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah?

Answer:

It is true that non-Muslims
are not allowed in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, by law. The following points will serve to
elucidate the possible reasoning behind such a restriction.

1. All citizens are not permitted in the cantonment areaI am a citizen of India. Yet, I
am not permitted to enter certain restricted areas like the cantonment. In
every country there are certain areas where a common citizen of that country
cannot enter. Only a citizen who is enrolled in the military or those who are
connected with the defence of the country are allowed
in the cantonment area. Similarly Islam is a Universal Religion for the entire
world and for all human beings. The cantonment areas of Islam are the two holy
cites of Makkah and Madinah.
Here only those who believe in Islam and are involved in the defence of Islam i.e. the Muslims are allowed.

It would be illogical for a
common citizen to object against the restriction on
entering a cantonment area. Similarly it is not appropriate for non-Muslims to
object against the restriction on non-Muslims against
entering Makkah and Madinah.

2. Visa to enter Makkah and Madinah

a.Whenever a person
travels to a foreign country he has to first apply for a visa i.e. the
permission to enter that country. Every country has its own rules, regulations
and requirements for issuing a visa. Unless their critera
are satisfied they will not issue a visa.

b.One of the countries which
is very strict in issuing a visa is the United States of America,
especially when issuing visas to citizens of the third world. They have several
conditions and requirements to be fulfilled before they issue a visa.

c.When I visited Singapore, it
was mentioned on their immigration form - death to drug traffickers. If I want
to visit Singapore
I have to abide by the rules. I cannot say that death penalty is a barbaric
punishment. Only if I agree with their requirements and conditions will I be
permitted to enter the country.

d.The Visa – The primary
condition required for any human being to enter Makkah
or Madina is to say with his lips, La ila ha illallahMuhammedurRasulullah meaning
that ‘there is no God but Allah and Muhammed (pbuh) is His Messenger.’

PORK FORBIDDEN

Question:

Why is the eating of pork
forbidden in Islam?

Answer:

The fact that consumption
of pork is prohibited in Islam is well known. The following points explain
various aspects of this prohibition:

1. Pork prohibited in Qur’an

The Qur’an
prohibits the consumption of pork in no less than 4 different places. It is
prohibited in 2:173, 5:3, 6:145 and 16:115.

"Forbidden to you (for
food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been
invoked the name of other than Allah." [Al-Qur’an 5:3]

The above verses of the
Holy Qur’an are sufficient to satisfy a Muslim as to
why pork is forbidden.

2. Pork prohibited in the Bible

The Christian is likely to
be convinced by his religious scriptures. The Bible prohibits the consumption
of pork, in the book of Leviticus

"And the swine, though
he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth
not the cud; he is unclean to you".

"Of their flesh shall
ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch, they are unclean to
you."[Leviticus 11:7-8]

Pork is also prohibited in
the Bible in the book of Deuteronomy

"And the swine,
because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth
not the cud, it is unclean unto you. Ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch
their dead carcass." [Deuteronomy
14:8]

A similar prohibition is
repeated in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 65 verse
2-5.

3. Consumption of pork causes several diseases

The other non-Muslims and
atheists will agree only if convinced through reason, logic and science. Eating
of pork can cause no less than seventy different types of diseases. A person
can have various helminthes like roundworm, pinworm, hookworm, etc. One of the
most dangerous is TaeniaSolium,
which is in lay man’s terminology called tapeworm. It harbours
in the intestine and is very long. Its ova i.e. eggs, enter the blood stream
and can reach almost all the organs of the body. If it enters the brain it can
cause memory loss. If it enters the heart it can cause heart attack, if it
enters the eye it can cause blindness, if it enters the liver it can cause
liver damage. It can damage almost all the organs of the body.

Another dangerous
helminthes is TrichuraTichurasis.
A common misconception about pork is that if it is cooked well, these ova die.
In a research project undertaken in America, it was found that out of
twenty-four people suffering from TrichuraTichurasis, twenty two had cooked the pork very well. This
indicates that the ova present in the pork do not die under normal cooking
temperature.

4. Pork has fat building material

Pork has very little muscle
building material and contains excess of fat. This fat gets deposited in the
vessels and can cause hypertension and heart attack. It is not surprising that
over 50% of Americans suffer from hypertension.

5. Pig is one of the filthiest animals on earth

The pig is one of the
filthiest animals on earth. It lives and thrives on muck, faeces
and dirt. It is the best scavenger that I know that God has produced. In the
villages they don’t have modern toilets and the villagers excrete in the open
air. Very often excreta is cleared by pigs.

Some may argue that in
advanced countries like Australia,
pigs are bred in very clean and hygienic conditions. Even in these hygienic
conditions the pigs are kept together in sties. No matter how hard you try to
keep them clean they are filthy by nature. They eat and enjoy their own as well
as their neighbour’s excreta.

6. Pig is the most shameless animal

The pig is the most
shameless animal on the face of the earth. It is the only animal that invites
its friends to have sex with its mate. In America, most people consume pork.
Many times after dance parties, they have swapping of wives; i.e. many say
"you sleep with my wife and I will sleep with your wife." If you eat
pigs then you behave like pigs. We Indians look upon America to be very advanced and
sophisticated. Whatever they do, we follow after a few years. According to an
article in Island magazine, this practice of swapping wives has become common
in the affluent circles of Bombay.

Alcohol has been the
scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to cost countless
human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout the world.
Alcohol is the root cause of several problems facing society. The statistics of
soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses and millions of
broken homes throughout the world bear mute testimony to the destructive power
of alcohol.

1. Prohibition of
alcohol in the Qur’an

The Glorious Qur’an prohibits the consumption of alcohol in the
following verse:

"O
ye who believe!
Intoxicants and Gambling,
(Dedication of) stones,
And (divination by) arrows,
Are an Abomination –
Of Satan’s handiwork;
Eschew such (abomination),
That ye may prosper."
[Al-Qur’an 5:90]

2. Prohibition of
alcohol in the Bible

The Bible prohibits the
consumption of alcohol in the following verses:

a."Wine is a
mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not
wise."
[Proverbs 20:1]

b."And be not drunk
with wine."
[Ephesians 5:18]

3. Alcohol inhibits the
inhibitory centreThe human beings possess an inhibitory centre in their
brains. This inhibitory centre prevents the person from doing things that he
considers wrong. For instance a person does not normally use abusive language
while addressing his parents or elders. If he has to answer the call of nature,
his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public. Therefore he
uses the toilet.

When a person consumes
alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. That is precisely the
reason that an inebriated person is often found to be indulging in behaviour that is completely uncharacteristic of him. For
instance the intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and
does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even
urinate in their clothes. Neither do they talk nor
walk properly. They even misbehave.

4. Cases of adultery, rape, incest and AIDS are found more among
alcoholics
According to National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S.
Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone everyday on an average 2,713
rapes took place. The statistics tell us that the majority of the rapists, were intoxicated while committing the crime. The
same is true in cases of molestation.

According to statistics, 8%
of Americans commit incest i.e. one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is
involved in incest. Almost all the cases of incest are due to intoxication of
one or both the persons involved.

One of the major factors
associated with the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease, is alcoholism.

5. Every alcoholic was initially a social drinkerMany may argue in favour of
liquor by calling themselves ‘social drinkers’. They claim that they only have
one or two pegs and they have self-control and so never get intoxicated.
Investigations reveal that every alcoholic started as a social drinker. Not a
single alcoholic or drunkard initially starts drinking with the intention of
becoming an alcoholic or a drunkard. No social drinker can say that I have been
having alcohol for several years and that I have so much self-control that I
have never been intoxicated even a single time.

6. If a person is
intoxicated just once and commits something shameful, it will remain with him
for a lifetime.
Suppose a ‘social drinker’ loses his self-control just once. In a state of
intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a
normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Both the
perpetrator and the victim are irreparably and irreversibly damaged.

7. Alcohol is prohibited
in the Hadith
The Prophet of Islam Muhammad (peace be upon him)
said:

"Anything which intoxicates in a large quantity, is prohibited even in a
small quantity."

Thus
there is no excuse for a nip or a tot.

c.Not only those who
drink alcohol are cursed but also those who deal with them directly or
indirectly are cursed by Allah.

According to SunanIbn-I-Majah Volume 3, Book of Intoxicants, Chapter 30 Hadith No. 3380.

It
was reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

"God’s
curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills
it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who
transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the
one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and
the one who buys it for someone else."

8. Diseases associated
with alcoholism
There are several scientific reasons for the prohibition of consumption of
intoxicants i.e. alcohol. The maximum number of deaths in the world related to
any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people
die every year only because of intake of alcohol. I need not go into the
details of all the ill-effects of alcohol since most of them are commonly
known. Below is a simple list of few of the alcohol related illnesses:

1.Cirrhosis of Liver is
the most well known alcohol associated disease.

2.Others are Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver (Hepatoma), Cancer of Bowel, etc.

3.Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis
and Hepatitis are linked with alcohol consumption.

7.Wernicke – Korsakoff
syndrome with amnesia of recent events, confabulations and retainment
of memory to old events with different types of paralysis are mainly due to
thiamine deficiency due to excessive alcohol intake.

8.Beriberi and other
deficiencies are not uncommon among alcoholics. Even Pellagra occurs in
alcoholics.

9.Delerium Tremens is a serious complication
that may occur during recurrent infection of alcoholics or post operatively. It
also occurs during abstention as a sign of withdrawal effect. It is quite
serious and may cause death even if treated in well equipped centres.

10.Numerous Endocrine
Disorders have been associated with alcoholism ranging from Myxodema
to Hyperthyroidism and Florid Cushing Syndrome.

11.Hematological ill
effects are long and variable. Folic acid deficiency, however, is the most
common manifestation of alcoholic abuse resulting in Macrocytic
Anemia. Zeive’s syndrome is a triad of Hemolytic
Anemia, Jaundice and Hyperlipaedemia that follows
alcoholic binges.

12.Thrombocytopenia and
other platelet abnormalities are not rare in alcoholics.

14.Recurrent infection is
very common among chronic alcoholics. The resistance to disease and the
immunological defense system are compromised by alcohol intake.

15.Chest infections are
notorious in alcoholics. Pneumonia, Lung Abcess,
Emphysema and Pulmonary Tuberculosis are all common in alcoholics.

16.During acute alcoholic
intoxication, the drunk person usually vomits, the
cough reflexes which are protective are paralysed.
The vomitus thus easily pass to the lung causing Pneumonia or Lung
Abscess. Occasionally it may even cause suffocation and death.

17.The ill effects of alcohol consumption on women deserves special
mention. Females are more vulnerable to alcohol-related Cirrhosis than men.
During pregnancy alcohol consumption has a severe detrimental effect on the foetus. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
is being recognised more and more in the medical
profession.

18.Skin diseases are also
related to alcohol indulgence.

19.Eczema, Alopecia, Nail
Dystrophy, Paronychia (infection around the nails)
and Angular Stomatitis (inflammation of the angle of
the mouth) are common diseases among alcoholics.

9. Alcoholism is a
‘disease’
Medical doctors have now turned liberal towards alcoholics and call alcoholism
a disease rather than an addiction.

The Islamic Research
Foundation has published a pamphlet that says:

If alcohol is a disease, it
is the only disease that:

- Is sold in bottles

- Is advertised in
newspapers, magazines, on radio and television

- Has licensed outlets to
spread it

- Produces revenue for the
government

- Brings violent deaths on
the highways

- Destroys family life and
increases crime

- Has no germs or viral
cause

ALCOHOLISM IS NOT A
DISEASE – IT IS SATAN’S HANDIWORK

Allah (swt)
in His Infinite Wisdom has warned us against this snare of Satan. Islam is
called the "Deen-ul-Fitrah" or the
natural religion of Man.
All its injunctions are aimed at preserving the natural state of man. Alcohol
is a deviation from this natural state, for the individual as well as for
society. It degrades man to a level below that of the beasts he claims to be
superior to. Hence the consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islam.

Why are two witnesses who
are women, equivalent to only one witness who is a man ?

Answer:

It is not true that two
female witnesses are always considered as equal to only one male witness. It is
true only in certain cases. There are about five verses in the Qur’an that mention witnesses, without specifying male or
female. There is only one verse in the Qur’an, that says two female witnesses are equal to one male witness.
This verse is SurahBaqarah,
chapter 2 verse 282. This is the longest verse in the Qur’an
and deals with financial transactions. It says:

"Oh! ye who believe!
When ye deal with each other,
in transactions involving future obligation
in a fixed period of time
reduce them to writing and get two witnesses
out of your own men and if there are not two men,
then a man and two women, such as ye choose,
for witnesses so that if one of them errs
the other can remind her."
[Al-Qur’an 2:282]

This verse of the Qur’an deals only with financial transactions. In such
cases, it is advised to make an agreement in writing between the parties and
take two witnesses, preferably both of which should be men only. In case you
cannot find two men, then one man and two women would suffice.

For instance, suppose a
person wants to undergo an operation for a particular ailment. To confirm the
treatment, he would prefer taking references from two qualified surgeons. In
case he is unable to find two surgeons, his second option would be one surgeon
and two general practitioners who are plain MBBS doctors.

Similarly in financial
transactions, two men are preferred. Islam expects men to be the breadwinners
of their families. Since financial responsibility is shouldered by men, they
are expected to be well versed in financial transactions as compared to women.
As a second option, the witness can be one man and two women, so that if one of
the women errs the other can remind her. The Arabic word used in the Qur’an is ‘Tazil’ which
means ‘confused’ or ‘to err’. Many have wrongly translated this word as ‘to
forget’. Thus financial transactions constitute the only case in which two
female witnesses are equal to one male witness.

However, some scholars are
of the opinion that the feminine attitude can also have an effect on the
witness in a murder case. In such circumstances a woman is more terrified as
compared to a man. Due to her emotional condition she can get confused.
Therefore, according to some jurists, even in cases of murder, two female
witnesses are equivalent to one male witness. In all other cases, one female
witness is equivalent to one male witness. There are about five verses in the Qur’an which speak about witnesses without specifying man
or woman.

While making a will of
inheritance, two just persons are required as witnesses. In SurahMaidah chapter 5 verse 106, the Glorious Qur’an says:

"Oh
you who believe!
When death approaches any of you,
(take) witnesses among yourself when making bequests."
[Al-Qur’an 5:106]

two just persons of your own
(brotherhood)
or other from outside if you are journeying
through the earth and the chance of death befalls you."
[Al-Qur’an 65:2]

Two persons endued with
justice in case of talaq.

"Four witnesses are required
in case of charge against chaste women,
[Al-Qur’an 24:4]

There are some scholars who
are of the opinion that the rule of two female witnesses equal to one male
witness should be applied to all the cases. This cannot be agreed upon because
one particular verse of the Qur’an from SurahNoor chapter 24, verse 6
clearly equates one female witness and one male witness:

"And those who launch
a charge
against their spouses, and have (in support)
no evidence but their own -
their solitary evidence can be received."
[Al-Qur’an 24:6]

HazratAyesha
(RA) hadith narrated of one witness

Many jurists agree that
even one witness of a woman is sufficient for the sighting of the crescent of
the moon. Imagine one woman witness is sufficient for one of the pillars of
Islam, i.e. fasting and the whole Muslim community of men and women agree and
accept her witness! Some jurists say that one witness is required at the
beginning of Ramadaanand two witnesses
at the end of Ramadaan. It makes no difference
whether the witnesses are men or women.

Some incidents require only
female witness and that of a male cannot be accepted. For instance, in dealing
with the problems of women, while giving the burial bath i.e. ‘ghusl’ to a woman, the witness has to be a woman.

The seeming inequality of
male and female witnesses in financial transactions is not due to any
inequality of the sexes in Islam. It is only due to the different natures and
roles of men and women in society as envisaged by Islam.

Under Islamic law, why is a
woman’s share of the inherited wealth only half that of a man?

Answer:

The Glorious Qur’an contains specific and detailed guidance regarding
the division of the inherited wealth, among the rightful beneficiaries.

The Qur’anic
verses that contain guidance regarding inheritance are:

* SurahBaqarah, chapter 2 verse 180

* SurahBaqarah, chapter 2 verse 240

* SurahNisa, chapter 4 verse 7-9

* SurahNisa, chapter 4 verse 19

* SurahNisa, chapter 4 verse 33 and

* SurahMaidah, chapter 5 verse 106-108

There are three verses in
the Qur’an that broadly describe the share of close
relatives i.e. SurahNisah
chapter 4 verses 11, 12 and 176. The translation of these
verses are as follows:

"Allah (swt) (thus) directs you as regards your children’s
(inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females, if only
daughters, two or more, their share is two-thirds of the inheritance; If only
one, her share is a half.

For parents, a sixth share
of the inheritance to each, if the deceased left children; If no children, and
the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left
brothers (or sisters) the mother has a sixth. (The distribution in all cases
is) after the payment of legacies and debts. Ye know not whether your parents
or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained
by Allah; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

In what your wives leave,
your share is half. If they leave no child; but if they leave
a child, ye get a fourth; after payment of legacies and debts. In what
ye leave, their share is a fourth, if ye leave no child; but if ye leave a
child, they get an eight; after payment of legacies and debts. If the man or
woman whose inheritance is in question, has left neither ascendants nor
descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth;
but if more than two, they share in a third; after payment of legacies and
debts; so that no loss is caused (to anyone). Thus it is ordained by Allah; and
Allah is All-Knowing Most Forbearing"
[Al-Qur’an 4:11-12]

"They ask thee for a
legal decision. Say: Allah directs (them) about those who leave no descendants
or ascendants as heirs. If it is a man that dies, leaving a sister but no
child, she shall have half the inheritance. If (such a deceased was) a woman
who left no child, Her brother takes her inheritance.
If there are two sisters, they shall have two thirds of the inheritance
(between them). If there are brothers and sisters, (they share), the male
having twice the share of the female. Thus doth Allah (swt)
makes clear to you (His knowledge of all things).
[Al-Qur’an 4:176]

In most of the cases, a
woman inherits half of what her male counterpart inherits. However, this is not
always the case. In case the deceased has left no ascendant or descendent but
has left the uterine brother and sister, each of the two inherit
one sixth. If the deceased has left children, both the parents that is mother and father get an equal share and inherit one
sixth each. In certain cases, a woman can also inherit a share that is double
that of the male. If the deceased is a woman who has left no children, brothers
or sisters and is survived only by her husband, mother and father, the husband
inherits half the property while the mother inherits one third and the father
the remaining one sixth. In this particular case, the mother inherits a share
that is double that of the father. It is true that as a general rule, in most
cases, the female inherits a share that is half that of the male. For instance
in the following cases:

1. daughter
inherits half of what the son inherits,

2. wife
inherits 1/8th and husband 1/4th if the deceased has no children.

3. Wife inherits 1/4th and
husband 1/2 if the deceased has children

4. If the deceased has no
ascendant or descendent, the sister inherits a share that is half that of the
brother.

In Islam a woman has no
financial obligation and the economical responsibility lies on the shoulders of
the man. Before a woman is married it is the duty of the father or brother to look
after the lodging, boarding, clothing and other financial requirements of the
woman. After she is married it is the duty of the husband or the son. Islam
holds the man financially responsible for fulfilling the needs of his family.
In order to do be able to fulfill the responsibility the men get double the
share of the inheritance. For example, if a man dies leaving about Rs. One Hundred and Fifty Thousand, for the children (i.e one son and one daughter) the son inherits One Hundred
Thousand rupees and the daughter only Fifty Thousand rupees. Out of the one
hundred thousand which the son inherits, as his duty towards his family, he may
have to spend on them almost the entire amount or say about eighty thousand and
thus he has a small percentage of inheritance, say about twenty thousand, left
for himself. On the other hand, the daughter, who inherits fifty thousand is not bound to spend a single penny on anybody.
She can keep the entire amount for herself. Would you prefer inheriting one
hundred thousand rupees and spending eighty thousand from it, or inheriting
fifty thousand rupees and having the entire amount to yourself?

Many people wonder as to
how a person with a scientific and logical temperament, can lend any credence
to the belief of life after death. People assume that anyone believing in the
hereafter is doing so on the basis of blind belief.

My belief in the hereafter
is based on a logical argument.

2. Hereafter a logical belief

There are more than a
thousand verses in the Glorious Qur’an, containing scientific facts (refer my book "Qur’an and Modern Science-Compatible or
Incompatible?"). Many facts mentioned in the Qur’an
have been discovered in the last few centuries. But science has not advanced to
a level where it can confirm every statement of the Qur’an.

Suppose 80% of all that is
mentioned in the Qur’an has been proved 100% correct.
About the remaining 20%, science makes no categorical statement, since it has
not advanced to a level, where it can either prove or disprove these
statements. With the limited knowledge that we have, we cannot say for sure
whether even a single percentage or a single verse of the Qur’an
from this 20% portion is wrong. Thus when 80% of the Qur’an
is 100% correct and the remaining 20% is not disproved, logic says that even
the 20% portion is correct. The existence of the hereafter, which is mentioned
in the Qur’an, falls in the 20% ambiguous portion
which my logic says is correct.

3. Concept
of peace and human values is useless without the concept of hereafter

Is robbing a good or an
evil act? A normal balanced person would say it is evil. How would a person who
does not believe in the hereafter convince a powerful and influential criminal
that robbing is evil?

Suppose I am the most
powerful and influential criminal in the world. At the same time I am an
Intelligent and a logical person. I say that robbing is good because it helps
me lead a luxurious life. Thus robbing is good for me.

If anybody can put forward
a single logical argument as to why it is evil for me, I will stop immediately.
People usually put forward the following arguments:

a.
The person who is robbed will face difficulties

Some may say that the
person who is robbed will face difficulties. I certainly agree that it is bad
for the person who is robbed. But it is good for me. If I rob a thousand
dollars, I can enjoy a good meal at a 5 star restaurant.

b.
Someone may rob you

Some people argue that
someday I may be robbed. No one can rob me because I am a very powerful
criminal and I have hundreds of bodyguards. I can rob anybody but nobody can
rob me. Robbing may be a risky profession for a common man but not for an
influential person like me.

c.
The police may arrest you

Some may say, if you rob,
you can be arrested by the police. The police cannot arrest me because I have
the police on my payroll. I have the ministers on my payroll. I agree that if a
common man robs, he will be arrested and it will be bad for him, but I am an
extraordinarily influential and powerful criminal.

Give me one logical reason
why it is bad for me and I will stop robbing.

d.
Its easy money

Some may say its easy money
and not hard-earned money. I agree completely that it is easy money, and that
is one of the main reasons why I rob. If a person has the option of earning
money the easy as well as the hard way, any logical person would choose the
easy way.

e.
It is against humanity

Some may say it is against
humanity and that a person should care for other human beings. I counter argue
by asking as to who wrote this law called ‘humanity’ and why should I follow
it?

This law may be good for
the emotional and sentimental people but I am a logical person and I see no
benefit in caring for other human beings.

f.
It is a selfish act

Some may say that robbing
is being selfish. It is true that robbing is a selfish act; but then why should
I not be selfish? It helps me enjoy life.

1. No
logical reason for robbing being an evil act

Hence all arguments that
attempt to prove that robbing is an evil act are futile. These arguments may
satisfy a common man but not a powerful and influential criminal like me. None
of the arguments can be defended on the strength of reason and logic. It is no
surprise that there are so many criminals in this world.

Similarly raping, cheating
etc. can be justified as good for a person like me and there is no logical
argument that can convince me that these things are bad.

2. A
Muslim can convince a powerful and influential criminal

Now let us switch sides.
Suppose you are the most powerful and influential criminal in the world, who
has the police and the ministers on his payroll. You have army of thugs to
protect you. I am a Muslim who will convince you that robbing,
raping, cheating, etc. are evil acts.

Even if I put forth the
same arguments to prove that robbing is evil the criminal will respond the same
way as he did earlier.

I agree that the criminal
is being logical and all his arguments are true only when he is the most
powerful and influential criminal.

3.
Every human being wants justice

Each and every human being
desires justice. Even if he does not want justice for others he wants justice
for himself. Some people are intoxicated by power and influence and inflict
pain and suffering on others. The same people, however, would surely object if
some injustice was done to them. The reason such people become insensitive to
the suffering of others is that they worship power and influence. Power and
influence, they feel, not only allows them to inflict injustice on others but
also prevents others from doing likewise to them.

4.God is Most Powerful and Just

As a Muslim I would
convince the criminal about the existence of Almighty God (refer to answer
proving the existence of God). This God is more powerful than you and at the
same time is also just. The Glorious Qur’an says:

"Allah is never unjustIn the least degree"

[Al-Qur’an 4:40]

5.
Why does God not punish me?

The criminal, being a
logical and scientific person, agrees that God exists, after being presented
with scientific facts from the Qur’an. He may argue
as to why God, if He is Powerful and Just, does not punish him.

6. The people
who do injustice should be punished

Every person who has
suffered injustice, irrespective of financial or social status, almost
certainly wants the perpetrator of injustice to be punished. Every normal
person would like the robber or the rapist to be taught a lesson. Though a
large number of criminals are punished, many even go scot-free. They lead a
pleasant, luxurious life, and even enjoy a peaceful existence. If injustice is
done to a powerful and influential person, by someone more powerful and more
influential than he, even such a person would want that person perpetrators of
injustice to be punished.

7. This life is
a test for the hereafter

This life is a test for the
hereafter. The Glorious Qur’an says:

"He who created Death
And life that He
May try which of you
Is best in deed;
And He is the Exalted
In Might, Oft-Forgiving"
[Al-Qur’an
67:2]

8. Final justice
on day of judgement

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"Every soul shall have
A taste of death:
And only on the Day
Of Judgement shall you
Be paid your full recompense.
Only he who is saved
Far from the Fire
And admitted to the Garden
Will have attained
The object (of life):
For the life of this world
Is but goods and chattels
Of deception."
[Al-Qur’an
3:185]

Final justice will be meted
out on the Day of Judgement. After a person dies, he
will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement along
with the rest of mankind. It is possible that a person receives part of his
punishment in this world. The final reward and punishment will only be in the
hereafter. God Almighty may not punish a robber or a rapist in this world but
he will surely be held accountable on the Day of Judgement
and will be punished in the hereafter i.e. life after death.

9. What
punishment can the human law give Hitler?

Hitler incinerated six
million Jews during his reign of terror. Even if the police had arrested him,
what punishment can the human law give Hitler for justice to prevail? The most
they can do is to send Hitler to the gas chamber. But that will only be
punishment for the killing of one Jew. What about the remaining five million,
nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine Jews?

10. Allah can
burn Hitler more than six million times in hellfire

Allah say
in the Glorious Qur’an:

"Those who reject
Our signs, We shall soon
Cast into the Fire;
As often as their skins
Are roasted through,
We shall change them
For fresh skins,
That they may taste
The penalty: for Allah
Is Exalted in Power, Wise"
[Al-Qur’an
4:56]

If Allah wishes he can
incinerate Hitler six million times in the hereafter in the hellfire.

11. No concept
of human values or good and bad without concept of hereafter

It is clear that without
convincing a person about the hereafter, i.e. life after death, the concept of
human values and the good or evil nature of acts is impossible to prove to any
person who is doing injustice especially when he is influential and powerful.

When all the Muslim follow one and the same Qur’an
then why are there so many sects and different schools of thoughts among
Muslims?

Answer:

1. Muslims Should be United

It is a fact that Muslims
today, are divided amongst themselves. The tragedy is that such divisions are
not endorsed by Islam at all. Islam believes in fostering unity amongst its
followers.

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"And hold fast,
All together, by the rope
Which Allah (stretches out for you),
and be not divided among yourselves;"
[Al-Qur’an 3:103]

Which is the rope of Allah
that is being referred to in this verse? It is the Glorious Qur’an.
The Glorious Qur’an is the rope of Allah which all
Muslims should hold fast together. There is double emphasis in this verse.
Besides saying ‘hold fast all together’ it also says, ‘be not divided’.

Qur’an further says,

"Obey Allah, and obey
the Messenger"
[Al-Qur’an 4:59]

All the Muslim should
follow the Qur’an and authentic Ahadith
and be not divided among themselves.

2. It is Prohibited to make sects and
divisions in Islam

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"As for those who
divide
Their religion and break up
Into sects, thou hast
No part in them in the least:
Their affair is with Allah:
He will in the end
Tell them the truth
Of all that they did."
[Al-Qur’an 6:159]

In this verse Allah (swt) says that one should disassociate oneself from those
who divide their religion and break it up into sects.

But when one asks a Muslim,
"who are you?", the common answer is either
‘I am a Sunni, or ‘I am a Shia’.
Some call themselves Hanafi, or Shafior Malikior Humbali. Some say ‘I am a Deobandi’, while some others say ‘I am a Barelvi’.

3. Our Prophet was a Muslim

One may ask such Muslims,
"Who was our beloved prophet (pbuh)? Was he a Hanafior a Shafi,
or a Humbalior a Maliki?"
No! He was a Muslim, like all the other prophets and messengers of Allah before
him.

It is mentioned in chapter
3 verse 52 of Al-Qur’an that
Jesus (pbuh) was a Muslim.

Further, in chapter 3 verse
67, Al-Qur’an says that Ibrahim
(pbuh) was not a Jew or a Christian but was a Muslim.

4. Qur’an says call yourselves
Muslim

a.If anyone poses a
Muslim the question who are you, he should say "I am a MUSLIM, not a Hanafior a Shafi".
SurahFussilat chapter 41
verse 33 says
"Who is better in speech
Than one who calls (men)
To Allah, works righteousness,
And says, ‘I am of those
Who bow in Islam (Muslim)?’ "
[Al-Qur’an 41:33]

The Qur’an says "Say I am of those who bow in
Islam". In other words, say, "I am a Muslim".

b.The Prophet (pbuh) dictated letters to non-Muslim kings and rulers
inviting them to accept Islam. In these letters he mentioned the verse of the Qur’an from Surah Ali Imran chapter 3 verse 64:
Say ye: "Bear witness
That we (at least)
Are Muslims (bowing
To Allah’s Will)."
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]

5. Respect all the Great Scholars of Islam

We must respect all the great
scholars of Islam, including the four Imaams, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi, Imam Humbal and Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with them all). They were great
scholars and may Allah reward them for their research and hardwork.
One can have no objection if someone agrees with the views and research of Imam
Abu Hanifa or Imam Shafi,
etc. But when posed a question, ‘who are you?’, the
reply should only be ‘I am a Muslim’.

Some may argue by quoting
the hadith of our beloved Prophet from Sunan Abu DawoodHadith No. 4579. In this hadith
the prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My
community will be split up into seventy-three sects."

This hadith
reports that the prophet predicted the emergence of seventy-three sects. He did
not say that Muslims should be active in dividing themselves into sects. The
Glorious Qur’an commands us not to create sects.
Those who follow the teachings of the Qur’an and SahihHadith, and do not create
sects are the people who are on the true path.

According to TirmidhiHadith No. 171, the
prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects,
and all of them will be in Hell fire except one sect." The companions
asked Allah’s messenger which group that would be. Where upon he replied,
"It is the one to which I and my companions belong."

The Glorious Qur’an mentions in several verses, "Obey Allah and
obey His Messenger". A true Muslim should only follow the Glorious Qur’an and the SahihHadith. He can agree with the views of any scholar as long as
they conform to the teachings of the Qur’an and SahihHadith. If such views go
against the Word of Allah, or the Sunnah of His
Prophet, then they carry no weight, regardless of how
learned the scholar might be.

If only all Muslims read
the Qur’an with understanding and adhere to SahihHadith, Inshallahmost of these differences would be solved and we could be one united Muslim
Ummah

All religions basically
teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a person only follow Islam? Can he
not follow any of the religions?

Answer

1. Major
difference between Islam and most other religions

All religions basically
exhort mankind to be righteous and eschew evil. But Islam goes beyond that. It
guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating
evil from our individual and collective lives. Islam takes into account human
nature and the complexities of human society. Islam is guidance from the
Creator Himself. Therefore, Islam is also called the Deen-ul-Fitrah(the natural religion of Man).

2. Example
- Islam commands us to shun robbery and also prescribes method of eleminating robbery

a.Islam prescribes
method of eliminating robberyAll major
religions teach that theft is an evil act. Islam teaches the same. So what is
the difference between Islam and the other religions? The difference lies in
the fact that Islam, besides teaching that robbing is evil, shows a practical
way of creating a social structure in which people will not rob.

b.Islam prescribes Zakaat
Islam prescribes a system of Zakaat
(obligatory annual charity). Islamic law prescribes that every person who has a
saving that exceeds the nisaab level i.e. more
than 85 grams of gold, should give 2.5% of that saving every lunar year in
charity. If every rich person in the world gave Zakaatsincerely, poverty will be eradicated from this world. Not a single human
being would die of hunger.

c.Chopping off the
hands as punishment for robbery
Islam prescribes chopping off the hands of the convicted robber. The Glorious Qur’an says in SurahMaidah:
"As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands:a punishment by way
of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power, full of
wisdom."
[ Al-Qur’an 5:38]
The non-Muslim may say, "Chopping off the hands in this 20th century.
Islam is a barbaric and ruthless religion!"

d.Results achieved
when Islamic ShariahImplementedAmerica is supposed to be one of the most
advanced countries in the world. Unfortunately it also has one of the highest
rates of crime, theft, and robbery. Suppose the Islamic shariahis implemented in America
i.e. every rich person gives Zakaat( 2.5% of his savings in charity above 85 grams of gold
every lunar year), and every convicted robber has his or her hands chopped off
as a punishment. Will the rate of theft and robbery in America
increase, remain same or decrease? Naturally it will decrease. Moreover the
existence of such a stringent law would discourage many a potential robber.

I
agree that the amount of theft that takes place in the world today is so
tremendous that if you chop off the hands of all the thieves, there will be
tens of thousands of people whose hands will be chopped off. The point here is
that the moment you implement this law the rate of theft will decline
immediately. The potential robber would give it a serious thought before
jeopardizing his limbs. The mere thought of the punishment itself will
discourage majority of the robbers. There will barely be a few who would rob.
Hence only a few person’s hands would be chopped off
but millions would live peacefully without fear of being robbed.

Islamic
Shariahis therefore practical, and
achieves results.

3. Example: Islam prohibits the molestation and rape of women.
It enjoins hijaaband prescribes
capital punishment for a convicted rapist.

Islam prescribes method of eliminating
molestation and rapeAll the major
religions declare the molestation and rape of women as grave sins. Islam
teaches the same. What then is the difference between Islam and the other
religions? The difference lies in the fact that Islam does not merely
preach respect for women, or abhor molestation and rape as serious crimes,
but also gives clear guidance as to how society can eliminate such crimes.

Hijaabfor menIslam has a
system of hijaab. The Glorious Qur’an first mentions hijaab
for the men and then for the women. Hijaabfor the men is mentioned in the following verse:

"Say
to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty:
that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with
all that they do."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The
moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to
his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijaabfor womenHijaab for women is mentioned in the following verse:

"And
say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their
modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what
(must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their
bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers,
their husbands’ fathers, their sons...."

[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

The
extent of hijaabfor a woman is that
her complete body should be covered. The only part that can be seen, are the
face and the hands up to the wrists. If they wish to cover, they can even cover
these parts of the body. However some Islamic scholars insist that even the
face should be covered.

Hijaabprevents molestationThe reason why
Allah has prescribed Hijaab for the women
is given in the Qur’an in the folowing verse of Surah Al-Ahzab:

"O
Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women,that they should cast their outer garments over
their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known
(as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, most Merciful."

[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The
Qur’an says that Hijaab
has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women
this would prevent them from being molested.

Example of twin sistersSuppose two
sisters who are twins and who are equally beautiful, walk down a street.
One of them is wearing the Islamic Hijaab
i.e. the complete body is covered except for the face and the hands up to
the wrists, and the other twin is wearing a mini skirt or shorts. Around
the corner there is a hooligan who is waiting for an opportunity to tease
a girl. Who will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the mini skirt or
shorts? Dresses that expose more than they conceal, are an indirect
temptation to the opposite sex for teasing, molestation and rape. The Qur’an rightly says that the hijaab
prevents women from being molested.

Capital punishment for rapistThe Islamic shariah prescribes capital punishment for a
convicted rapist. The non-Muslim may be horrified at such a stringent
punishment in this age. Many accuse Islam of being ruthless and barbaric.
I have asked a common question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose
God-forbid, some one rapes your wife, your mother
or your sister and you are made the judge. The rapist is brought in front
of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said, "we would put him to death." Some went to the
extent of saying, "we would torture him to death", If your wife
or your mother is raped you want the rapist to be put to death. But if
someone else’s wife or mother is raped, capital punishment is a barbaric
law. Why the double standards?

U.S.A. has one of the highest rate of RapeThe United States of America
is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. An
F.B.I report in the year 1990 says that 1,02,555
cases of rape were reported. It further says that only 16% of the cases of
rapes are reported. Thus, in order to know the actual number of rapes that
took place in 1990, the reported figure should be multiplied by 6.25. We
get a total of 6,40,968 rape cases that took
place in the year 1990. If the total is divided by 365 the number of days
in a year, we get an average of 1,756 rape incidents everyday.

Later
another report said that an average of 1900 cases of rape are
committed in U.S.A every day. According to National Crime Victimization Survey
Bureau of Justice Statistics (U. S. Dept. of Justice) in 1996 alone 3,07,000 cases of rape were reported. Only 31% of the actual
cases of rape were reported. Thus, 3,07,000 X 3.226 =
9,90,322 rapes took place in 1996. That is, an average of 2,713 cases of rape
took place everyday in America
in 1996. Every 32 seconds one rape is taking place in America. Maybe
American rapists got bolder. The FBI report of 1990 continues and says that out
of the rape cases that were reported only 10% of the rapist
were arrested, that is only 1.6% of the actual rapes committed. Out of
those arrested, 50% were let free before the trial. This would mean that only
0.8% of the rapists faced a trial. In other words if a person commits 125 rapes
the chances that he will get a punishment for rape is only once. Many would
consider this a good gamble. And the report says that of those people who faced
trial 50% received sentences of less than a year’s imprisonment though the
American law says rape carries a seven year sentence of imprisonment. For a
rapist, the judge is lenient to first time offenders. Imagine a person commits
125 rapes and the chances of being convicted is only
once, and 50% of the time the judge will grant leniency and give a sentence of
less than a year!

Results achieved when Islamic ShariahImplementedSuppose the
Islamic shariahis implemented in America.
Whenever a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought
comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic Hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face
and the hands upto the wrists. After this if any
man commits rape, he gets capital punishment. The question is, will the rate
of rape in America
increase, will it remain the same or will it decrease? Naturally it will
decrease. Islamic Shariahgets
results.

4. Islam has Practical Solutions for the Problems of Mankind

Islam is the best way of
life because its teachings are not doctrinaire rhetoric but practical solutions
for the problems of mankind. Islam achieves results both at the individual and
collective levels. Islam is the best way of life because it is a practical,
universal religion not confined to any ethnic group or nationality.

If Islam is the best
religion, why are many of the Muslims dishonest, unreliable, and involved in
activities such as cheating, bribing, dealing in drugs, etc.?

Answer:

1. Media maligns Islam

Islam is without doubt the best religion but the media
is in the hands of the westerners who are afraid of Islam. The media is
continuously broadcasting and printing information against Islam. They either provide misinformation about Islam, misquote
Islam or project a point out of proportion, if any.

When any bomb blasts take place anywhere, the first
people to be accused without proof are invariably the Muslims. This
appears as headlines in the news. Later, when they find that non-Muslims
were responsible, it appears as an insignificant
news’ item.

If a 50 year old Muslim marries a 15 year old girl
after taking her permission, it appears on the front page but when a 50
year old non-Muslim rapes a 6 year old girl, it may appear in the news in
the inside pages as ‘Newsbriefs’. Everyday in America on
an average 2,713 cases of rape take place but it doesn’t appear in the
news, since it has become a way of life for the Americans.

2. Black sheep in every community:

I am aware that there are
some Muslims who are dishonest, unreliable, who cheat, etc. but the media
projects this as though only Muslims are involved in such activities. There are
black sheep in every community. I know Muslims who are alcoholics and who can
drink most of the non-Muslims under the table.

3. Muslims best as a whole:

Inspite of all the black sheep in the
Muslim community, Muslims taken on the whole, yet form the best community in
the world. We
are the biggest community of tee-totallers as a
whole, i.e. those who don’t imbibe alcohol. Collectively, we are a community
which gives the maximum charity in the world. There is not a single person in
the world who can even show a candle to the Muslims
where modesty is concerned; where sobriety is concerned; where human values and
ethics are concerned.

4. Don’t judge a car by its driver:

If you want to judge how good is the latest model of the "Mercedes" car and
a person who does not know how to drive sits at the steering wheel and bangs up
the car, who will you blame? The car or the driver?But naturally, the driver. To analyze how good the car is, a
person should not look at the driver but see the ability and features of the
car. How fast is it, what is its average fuel consumption, what are the safety
measures, etc. Even if I agree for the sake of argument that the Muslims are
bad, we can’t judge Islam by its followers? If you want to judge how good Islam
is then judge it according to its authentic sources, i.e. the Glorious Qur’an and the SahihHadith.

5. Judge Islam by its best follower i.e. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh):

If you practically want to
check how good a car is put an expert driver behind
the steering wheel. Similarly the best and the most exemplary follower of Islam
by whom you can check how good Islam is, is the last and final messenger of
God, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Besides Muslims, there
are several honest and unbiased non-Muslim historians who have acclaimed that
prophet Muhammad was the best human being. According to Michael H. Hart who
wrote the book, ‘The Hundred Most Influential Men in History’, the topmost
position, i.e. the number one position goes to the beloved prophet of Islam,
Muhammad (pbuh). There are several such examples of
non-Muslims paying great tributes to the prophet, like Thomas Carlyle,
La-Martine, etc.

‘Kafir’
is derived from the word ‘kufr’, which means
to conceal or to reject. In Islamic terminology, ‘Kafir’
means one who conceals or rejects the truth of Islam
and a person who rejects Islam is in English called a ‘non-Muslim’.

If non-Muslims are hurt - they should accept Islam.

If any non-Muslim considers
the word ‘Kafir’ i.e. ‘non-Muslim’ as an abuse, he may choose to accept Islam and then we will
stop referring to him as or call him a kafiri.e. a non-Muslim.